The instant invention relates to web feeding apparatus and more particularly to a bursting component, a folding component and an inserting component which can be utilized in a variety of combinations.
Typically, when reading material is to be mailed to a large plurality of people, an inserting machine is utilized for inserting the reading material into an envelope. In those cases where it is necessary to fold the reading material before insertion into the envelope, a folding machine is coupled to the inserting machine and a system is created whereby the reading material is first folded and then inserted into the envelope. With the advent of computers and fan folded, perforated paper in web form, there developed a need to burst the web into discreet sheets before folding and inserting, and thus a bursting machine was added to the folding and inserting machines to create a three component system to burst, fold and insert discreet sheets that had been separated from a web.
Use of a bursting machine alone to separate web material into discreet sheets is clearly not new, and the use of a bursting machine in-line with a folding machine and an inserting machine is likewise not new. However, none of the prior art systems possesses the flexibility to enable (a) the burster to be used alone, (b) the burster to be used only with the folder, (c) the burster to be used only with the inserter, and (d) the burster to be used in line with the folder and the inserter. The instant invention therefore overcomes this shortcoming in the prior art by providing a sheet processing apparatus having the hereinabove described capability.